Bluffton, Battery Creek holding spring football scrimmages today

As most area high school football programs wrap up spring practice this week, many are hosting their annual spring scrimmages, most of which are open to the public.

Bluffton High School will hold its Black-Silver game at 6 tonight. There is no admission, but donations are welcome. The Bobcats are trying to raise money for more helmets and uniforms to accommodate an increase in players.

There will be season passes for sale, and for the first time, reserved stadium seating will be sold in advance. The Bobcats also will be selling 10 preferred tailgating spots.

Prep Notebook, May 18: Area soccer standouts earn all-state honors

Five area soccer players have been named to this year's all-state team, headlined by a quartet of Hilton Head Island High School players headed to state championship games this weekend.

Senior forward Ruben Romero and junior midfielder Chris MacMurray were both named to the Class 3-A boys team for the Seahawks, who are appearing in their first state title game Saturday against Fort Mill. MacMurray has netted three game-winning goals this year for Hilton Head High while Romero may be the first attacking player from the school to be named to the all-state team, according to coach Wayne Quinlan.

Romero will also join Jessica Bonilla of the Hilton Head High girls team at this year's North-South Soccer Classic.

Prep Notebook, May 11: HHH, Bluffton girls could meet in soccer semifinals

The Bluffton and Hilton Head Island High girls soccer teams both face tall tasks in the third round of the Class 3-A state playoffs.

But it's hard not to look ahead to the Lower State finals, where the Bobcats and Seahawks could face each other for a right to travel to the state championship.

But first the two rivals must take care of business on the road. Hilton Head High -- last season's state champions -- travels to St. James tonight while Bluffton travels to Columbia to take on Brookland-Cayce.

Prep Roundup, May 8: Simonsen leads Beaufort High at Lower State golf meet

From staff reports

BOYS GOLF

Class 4-A Lower State: Beaufort High School earned its ticket to next week's state championships with a fifth-place finish Monday at the Class 4-A Lower State meet at Sunset Country Club in Sumter.

Prep Roundup, May 5: Thomas Heyward baseball season stays alive

A dramatic rally in the seventh inning kept the Thomas Heyward Academy baseball team's season alive Friday night in Holly Hill, as the Rebels bounced back from a tough loss in the opener of their SCISAA Class 2-A second-round series to win Game 2.

Holly Hill Academy scored a run in the seventh inning of the first game Friday to edge the Rebels, 2-1. Bryan Lee Wade hit a third-inning home run for the Rebels' only run. Ryan Day pitched a complete game, taking the loss.

It looked as if the Rebels' season would be over later in the evening, with them trailing 8-2 going into the last inning of the second game. But Thomas Heyward came up with seven runs in the top of the seventh -- capped off by Taylor Cowart's two-run single -- to take a 9-8 lead.

Prep Roundup, May 2: Beaufort boys tennis opens playoffs with easy win

BOYS TENNIS

Beaufort High 6, North Augusta 0: The Beaufort High School boys tennis team overwhelmed its first-round opponent, North Augusta, on Tuesday in the Class 4-A playoffs, winning 6-0.

The Eagles, ranked sixth in the state, only dropped nine games total in the five singles matches. The only matchup of the day that was close was the No. 2 doubles match, but Beaufort's Fred Tkach and Daniel Lange prevailed in a third-set tiebreaker to complete the shutout.

Prep hires Faulkner to coach boys hoops, Graham to lead volleyball team

Jerry Faulkner is coming back to the sidelines.

After stepping down nearly two years ago as boys basketball coach at Hilton Head Christian Academy, Faulkner is returning to the court -- this time at Hilton Head Prep.

"Everything about him from teaching the game of basketball to teaching young men is at the top," athletics director Rich Basirico said. "We're very pleased and honored that he's coming to our coaching staff."

Prep Roundup, April 28: HHCA boys fall in SCISAA state tennis final

BOYS TENNIS

SCISAA Class 3-A state championship: The Hilton Head Christian Academy boys tennis team ran up against perennial powerhouse Porter-Gaud on Friday in the SCISAA Class 3-A state championship match at Hammond School in Columbia, and it was the Cyclones who captured the crown -- but not without a serious battle.

Porter-Gaud needed to rally from first-set deficits in the last two doubles matches to pull out a 5-4 victory over the Eagles and win the state title after falling in the finals the previous two seasons.

Prep Roundup, April 27: Bluffton routs North Myrtle Beach in softball playoff opener

Whitney Morrell put some punctuation on the end of the Bluffton softball team's postseason opener Thursday night, launching a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the fifth inning to give the Bobcats a 14-3 victory over North Myrtle Beach in the first round of the District VII playoffs.

The Bobcats were cruising along comfortably with a 10-3 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning when Morrell's slam ended it. She finished the night 2 for 4, also hitting a double, with six RBIs.

Kim Kerby went 2 for 3 with a triple and three RBIs for Bluffton (17-2).

Prep Roundup, April 26: HHCA boys tennis team knocks off Prep in state semifinals

BOYS TENNIS

Hilton Head Christian 5, Hilton Head Prep 3: The Eagles knocked off the Dolphins to mark their deepest run in the SCISAA playoffs since moving to 3-A.

Hilton Head Christian advances to face Porter-Gaud for the state championship in a match that is supposed to be held Friday in a neutral site. But according to coach Eric Wammock, the match may be moved to early next week. The time and site for the match will be determned today.

Woodward leads Hilton Head Prep boys to state golf title

It was a clean sweep for Hilton Head Preparatory School at the SCISAA Class 3-A boys golf championship Tuesday at General James Hackler Golf Course at Coastal Carolina in Conway.

Junior Woody Woodward shot his second straight even-par 72 to claim medalist honors and lead the Dolphins to a second-round team score of 300 and a 19-stroke victory over Pinewood Prep for the state championship, 603-622.

Hilton Head Christian Academy finished third with a two-day total of 626.

Prep Roundup, April 25: Hilton Head High boys pepper Cane Bay with 12 goals

BOYS SOCCER

Hilton Head High 12, Cane Bay 0: Blake Bishop found the back of the net five times Tuesday night as the Hilton Head Island High School boys soccer team pounded Region 7-AAA foe Cane Bay, 12-0, to remain undefeated in the region.

In addition to Bishop's five goals, the Seahawks (10-3 overall, 5-0 region) also had two other players with hat tricks -- Chip Tremarelli and Bennett Murphy each scored three times. Ruben Romero had Hilton Head High's other goal.

Prep Roundup, April 22: Battery Creek baseball team scores key win over Hilton Head

BASEBALL

Battery Creek 6, Hilton Head Island High 3: The Battery Creek baseball team picked up a crucial victory Saturday in its quest to lock up a postseason spot, as Shane Dixon tossed a complete game to lead the Dolphins to a 6-3 win over Hilton Head Island High School.

Battery Creek has one Region 7-AAA game remaining on its schedule, Monday at Lake Marion. If the Dolphins defeat Lake Marion -- which is winless in the region -- they would lock up Region 7's final playoff spot. A Battery Creek loss would put Bluffton into the playoffs.

Prep Roundup, April 21: Beaufort High's Gregory throws no-hitter

BASEBALL

Beaufort High 8, Colleton County 0: Sophomore Carson Gregory finished out the Beaufort High School baseball team's region schedule in style, throwing a no-hitter in an 8-0 win against Colleton County on Friday night.

Gregory (5-2) finished with eight strikeouts and two walks for the Eagles (16-7), who needed Summerville to knock off Ashley Ridge on Friday night to grab a share of the Region 8-AAAA championship.

State speed/strength meet today at Hilton Head Christian

The SCISAA Class 1-A/2-A Speed and Strength State Championship is being held today, beginning at 10 a.m., at Hilton Head Christian Academy.

Athletes, including those from Hilton Head Christian and Thomas Heyward Academy, will be separated into different weight classes and compete in six events: the 40-yard dash, shuttle run, broad jump, vertical leap, power-clean and the bench press. Awards will be given for each individual event, as well as for the top overall finishers in each weight class.

Prep Notebook, April 20: Orford says cupboard full for Hilton Head Prep football

Kevin Orford knows what his replacement is getting as the next football coach at Hilton Head Prep.

"This group of athletes, it's going to be a great team," he said Tuesday. "It's going to be a really good team."

Orford stepped aside as coach of the Dolphins last week after just a year in order to focus on his business, KOL Global Logistics. In doing so, he stepped away from a group that he thinks has the potential to do big things in 2012.

Prep Roundup, April 19: Bluffton softball team tops HHH, finishes region at 10-0

SOFTBALL

Bluffton 10, Hilton Head High 0: The Bluffton High School softball team closed out its Region 7-AAA schedule Wednesday night with a 10-0 victory at Hilton Head Island High School, finishing with a perfect 10-0 mark in league play.

Courtney Smith held the Seahawks in check, striking out 12 in a two-hitter. She issued no walks.

Three major coaching positions open at Hilton Head Prep

Another offseason of change awaits the Hilton Head Prep athletics program.

For the second consecutive year, the Dolphins are looking to replace head coaches for their football, boys and girls basketball teams.

"You never really plan for it, but you do realize that in coaching, sometimes these things happen," athletics director Rich Basirico said. "Sometimes people decide that it's time to step away for different reasons."

Prep Roundup, April 18: Beaufort High tennis team puts away Hilton Head

BOYS TENNIS

Beaufort High 5, Hilton Head Island High 1: The Eagles took the top three singles matches en route to an easy win.

Beaufort High (12-5) gets back into its Region 8-AAAA schedule today at 4 p.m., hosting Summerville. The Eagles and Green Wave are both undefeated in the region.

Prep Roundup, April 17: Dolphins down HHCA in boys soccer

From staff reports

BOYS SOCCER

Hilton Head Prep 7, Hilton Head Christian 1: Will Peterkin had two goals and assisted on two others as the Dolphins downed their island rivals.